Words of Wisdom

ADVENTURES IN COOKING.

Now that is a fabulous mindset to have, isn't it? Hope ya'll had a fabulous weekend & Monday yesterday to kick off Thanksgiving week. This weekend, I made the most AH-MAZING Grilled Cheese Sandwich and if you're anything like me (and consider yourself a cheese-ologist) then this recipe will be sure to light your tastebuds (or your oven quite literally) on fire.  I'm not what you would call a seasoned chef, heck, I'll be honest, I'm not even a decent cook unless you are referring to picking up the phone and ordering delivery (sorry, mom, it is true).  Now baking, I can do, but a real meal, not gonna happen without something going terribly wrong. 

Craving a delicious grilled cheese, I thoughts surely this recipe would be no problemo to whip up for a quick meal.  AND to spice things up (or in the words of Emeril, kick it up a notch) I decided to go rogue and add bacon (the oven-baked, crispy, delicious kind).  After pre-heating the oven, I put the bacon in, set the timer, and began to work on the red onions.  About 10 minutes later, Boo Radley began frantically sniffing and pacing in the oven/kitchen  area-to be honest, I'd go ahead and call it the living room/bedroom/hallway area as well.  I really didn't think anything of it until the smoke alarm started blaring over & over getting loud with each repetition.  Well, I opened the oven to check things out, & found in the bottom, underneath the sizzling bacon, what used to be one of Boo Radley's squeaky tennis balls, now engulfed in flames.  If you're wondering how one of her toys ended up in the oven, your guess is probably better than mine because I have no clue.  In an attempt to shut the smoke alarm off, I decided to wave a towel in front of it and in doing so, knocked off the hallway sconce which shattered into a million pieces throughout the front hallway and bathroom.  DISASTER.  Moral of the story, always check your oven before turning it on, you never know what you might have hidden inside.  Would love to know what you think of the grilled cheese... guarantee it will not disappoint...and highly recommend adding bacon.
Grilled Cheese, Best Grilled Cheese Recipe
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CLEAN YOUR SLATE.

In the April issue of Lonny Magazine there is an incredible article with designer Amanda Nisbet that I encourage everyone to take a look at.  One of the great things she reminds us all to do is to embrace our strengths.  She goes on to say that for years she would dismiss friends and family who suggested she pursue a career in interior design because it came so easily to her.  When she finally did become a professional designer, success and creative fulfillment both resulted.  Just another reminder to be in tune and listen to what your natural abilities are telling you.  They are called strengths for a reason, and often times we take anything that comes easy or naturally for granted.  This was something that was also brought up at the Blogging Your Way workshop I blogged about last month.  Holly Becker  asked all of us to answer the question, what am I effortlessly good at? What do I do that comes absolutely effortless that other people wonder how you do it with such ease?  Take a few minutes to think about that in your own lives. 

Something that particularly resonated with me during the Blogging Your Way class was Holly's suggestion of "weeding our garden" referencing the need to remove negative and toxic things in our own lives. It was a much needed reminder to take time to examine our own lives first in order to determine what inspires us and why.  
One of the best metaphors for the process of "weeding your garden" that Holly mentioned is that of the oxygen mask in an airplane.
When was the last time you "cleaned your slate"? Take a minute to think about the negative things in your life that are causing problems or holding you back and what you can do realistically to change those things!

 
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